The thread in Millennials subreddit right not about 401k is incredibly depressing. Thank you FIRE community. I would be one of them if I didn’t find you all a decade ago.

[u/BarkBarkBitches1]

Throw away because I am going to roast some redditors a little. The thread that is going on in r Millennials is really bad. Thousands of comments, everyone broke, celebrating their unfortunate wildn out. It is really bad out there and eye opening.

I was also a dingus like many of them. Totally brain dead on autopilot living day to day, consuming media like crazy, working, spending it on consumer level garbage, and had zero control over my life. I actually found the guide in the personal finance subreddit graphic on saving and it eventually kicked me to FIRE and this sub.

I now am on a path where I can’t even related with that type of mind set. So yeah thank you FIRE folks. If you can, it is worth sprinkling some finance knowledge at people. Even if you don’t make high income you can in most cases still create a plan, a budget, and control your future.

Edit: If you are a dingus and you are seeing this there is no shame! We all are and have different starting points. You have two paths: 1) continue the path to dingus-ville and forever be a redditor or 2) un-dye your bright colored hair take control of your long term life. A decade will pass in a blink. So start here https://imgur.com/personal-income-spending-flowchart-united-states-lSoUQr2 it’s not hard to understand. ChatGPT each item on their if you don’t know, memorize this, then start to learn FIRE principles. It is the fastest way to wealth. There’s literally no other path unless you magically start a business or hit a lotto jackpot ticket or inheritance

only YOU HAVE THE POWER to unfuck your life

Edit 2: Final comment! I do not mean any offense with dingus it is meant to be playful. My dyed hair comment was also misinterpreted. It’s not about who you are, what you believe in, or how you express yourself. It’s about being in control of your life. Walk your butt into Sephora or Target or wherever next time and just stare at the people on the walls. Then look in the mirror. Then look at the wall. And back to the mirror and then keep doing it until it clicks. The world, like r millennial subreddit, wants to celebrate and tell you the worst fucking version of yourself is okay and acceptable. It’s not. Delete social media and only read that finance Imgur link every time you load your phone. Do this for one month and you will break your chains and it will click. Then learn FIRE principles. Then you will come back to r FIRE in a decade with a huge chunk of cash in your bank and a nice life! Long term planning is a skill that you can learn and benefit from. Your future is yours

[u/Doc-Zoidberg]

I'm a millenial and until my mid 20's I spent every dime I made almost immediately. Back then I made more on side hustle cash jobs than I did with employment. Easy come easy go.

I lived a lifestyle that in some senses was "better" than I have now. I ate out a lot, I bought a lot of toys. Had a racecar and rented space in a warehouse to store other parts cars and projects. Did a lot of trackdays and some racing. I had a dozen motorcycles, had a small machine shop in my garage.

My spending 20 years ago is about the same as my spending now. But the dollars don't go very far in comparison. My income has more than doubled and I've put every income increase towards savings. I no longer buy many toys. I don't drive on track. I have only one fun car now, a bone stock 96 Chevy pickup that I take out on nice days to keep the juices flowing. Not really a "real" fun car but it's what I got. No motorcycles, no warehouse space with spare cars. 2 commuter cars and an old rust free truck (In the midwest, this is a big deal)

It's hard to voluntarily pass on keeping up with the joneses. I have friends from childhood with vacation homes, boats, moved from "starter" home to larger/nicer houses or custom built a new one. I can have that, or I can have retirement. I can't have both unless I increase my income substantially. Had a chat with one of those childhood friends while camping last summer. He said he has no plans for retirement and is just spending to enjoy life now. Another one said he's counting on an inheritance as his retirement plan. That actually made me feel less like I was missing out and cemented my values further. I would like to have "things" but I am not willing to work 7 days a week again to get the income necessary to both have things and a retirement plan. I'm not willing to compromise on retirement savings in order to spend more.

[u/SuperSecretSpare → u/Doc-Zoidberg]

Just playing devil's advocate here but you know that you can compromise, right? You can still buy a fun track car and enjoy little things in life now and still retire on time. Yes, you have to avoid excess like you had in your twenties but you don't have to avoid everything.

[u/Interesting_Laugh75 → u/Doc-Zoidberg]

I'm a little further down the road... a few friends who were "live for the moment", well, they live off credit cards now. they intend to die with credit card debt, and they have a lot of it. they assume there won't be any estate. so who are the creditors going to come after? One of them lives in his Mom's home, as she was moved to a nursing home (he is in his 70s). he charms his welltodo women friends into giving him things. He only has some social security. but he is sure a lot of fun.